Coach: More Odyssey of the Mind advisers needed

Davidson Middle School’s Odyssey of the Mind members strike a pose at last month’s regional OM competition at Shoal River Middle School. The team, along with Crestview High School students, will attend an April 6 state competition in Orlando. From left are assistant coach Shirley Young, Quinn Stegner, Coleman Young, David Ness, Ethan Mitchell, Chianté Peacock and coach Eric Young.

Special to the News Bulletin

By MATTHEW BROWN / News Bulletin

Published: Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 05:57 PM.

CRESTVIEW — Crestview High School and Davidson Middle School students are heading to the state’s April 6 Odyssey of the Mind competition at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

The problem-solving team includes ChiantéPeacock, Coleman Young, Quinn Stegner, Ethan Mitchell and Jacob Cyrus, of Davidson, and Jacob's brother, Josh, and David Ness, of Crestview High.

The task

In the Odyssey of the Mind program — available to kindergarten through college students at participating schools — speed matters.

"It is a competition for creative minds (that) includes solving problems as quick as possible," Stegner, 13, said.

The team next month must perform a timed, humorous skit in which two characters acting otherwise normal seem odd to passersby.

Students are responsible for writing the script, designing costumes, creating the set and performing the material.

Competing at the state level is nothing new for the team, Mitchell said.

"Half of the students will be returning to state from last year," he said.

Although the group had no competitor in the regional division, Mitchell had to keep his team focused because lack of a competitor, as he knew, wouldn’t guarantee qualification for the state competition. To do this, he told team members they were competing against Tate High School in Escambia County.

"The day before the (regional) competition, he was like, 'Hey, there is no Tate,’" Peacock, 13, said.

Program’s benefits

Students said they take away something special from their time in Odyssey of the Mind.

"I feel like I am more creative when it comes to problems," Peacock said. "It helps you make quicker decisions."